Headwear



June 20, 1933.

- A, L. HENDRlcKsCN 1,915,092

HEADWEAR Filed Aug. 4, 1932 MU/H", K A

ATTORNEY.

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Patented June 2i), 1933 UNTD STATES TING MILLS, OF TvILVIUKER X3i/IS LEAX KARGER ANB Dil/ID KABGEB ALFRED L. HENDBXCKSGN, GF HIELVAUKEE, VIISCONSN, iSSlG-NGR TO EAGLE KNIT- yQN'SIN, A COPARTNERSH'IP CGNSSTING OF HEADWEAR Application fried August 4, 1932.

The present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of producing headwear, and relates more specifically to im proveniente in the construction of knitted licadwear especially adapted to be worn by women or children.Y

An object of the invention is to provide a new, useful and relatively inexpensive type of headwear, which may be readily adjusted to assume a variety of attractive forms or shapes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved piece of headwear which may be readily produced by knitting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new article of manufacture comprising a cap or hat which may be knitted in tubular form and subsequently readily completed to produce a neat and highly finished final structure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a piece of knitted headwear which will effectively lit and cling to the head of the wearer, and the appearance of which may be quickly varied without removal of the article from the head of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitted hatI formed of a tubular blank having one edge provided with a French welt formed integral with the tube during the knitting operation, and adapted to receive a cord or wire so as to produce a relatively stiff or rigid brim edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a knitted hat structure formed of a tubular blank having` an intermediate portion thereof provided with a French welt formed integral with the tube during the knitting operation, to produce a highly elastic reinforced head engaging or sweat band.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an article of knitted headwear formed of a tubular piece, one end of which is closed to form a crown, and the opposite end portion of which is provided with two spaced French welts disposed on opposite sides of a brim portion and formed during the knitting operation, one of these welts serving for the reception of a brim shaping Serial No. 6537,@2.

wire and the other functioning as a reinforced head engaging band.

Another object of the invention is to provide a durable cap or hat structure which may be manufactured and sold at moderate cost, and which is highly attractive in appearance.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention, and of. the mode of producing knitted headwear manufactured in accord-V ance therewith, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a part sectional side elevation of a tubular blank or piece, such as is utilized to produce the improved headwear;

Fig. 2 is a part sectional side elevation of the completed article of improved headwear, showing the construction of the brim portion in detail;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the completed article; and

Fig. 4 is a front view of the article showing the same arranged in one of the numerous forms which it is adapted to assume when being worn.

Referring specifically to Fig. l of the drawing, it will be apparent that the improved article of headwear may be formed from a tubular knitted section 5 having its upper end 6 slit and brought together to form an apex or crown, the adjoining edges of the slits 7 being sewed together along substantially radial planes. The lower portion of the tubular section 5 is provided with vertically spaced annular French welts 8, 9 which are preferably formed integral with the section 5 during the knitting` operation. The lower welt 8 is disposed at the extreme lower edge of the tube, while the upper welt 9 is spaced from the lower welt 8 suiiiciently to form a brim section l0 between the welts. These French welts 8, 9 constitute relatively elastic reinforcing bands, the lower of which provides the equivalent of a selvage edge, and

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formation of the French welts the upper of which serves as a head engaging or sweat band. Each of the French welts 8, 9 has a central opening extending throughout the entire length thereof as clearly indicated by the sections of Figs. 1 and 2. i

lVhen the tubular section has been finished as shown in Fig. 1, the article of headwear may be readily completed as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, bythe insertion of a relatively stiff cord or wire 11 within the lower French welt 8. One end of the cord or wire 11 may be inserted laterally through the mesh of the wall of the lower welt 8 and the wire may be subsequently slipped longitudinally through the central opening extending throughout the length of this weltv entirely around the outer edge or brim, and the wire preferably has its opposite ends subsequently connected in any suitable manner to produce a ring having a diameter considerably greater than that of the original tube section 5, thereby gradually stretching the brim portion 10 and causing the same to flare from the upper welt 9 toward the lower welt 8. The

`stretching of the lower edge of the tubular section by the ring wire 11, is not, however, sufficient to expose the wire through the knitting constituting the welt 8.

Any desired style or type of knitting mav be employed in the formation of the tubulail section 5, and the portion above the upper welt 9 may be of different texture from that of the brim section 10. W'hen the article is utilized as a hat in the manner specifically illustrated in Fig. 4, the crown portion above the French welt 9 is pulled down over the head of the wearer, and the upper welt 9 stretches but remains in snug engagement with the wearers head. The lower welt 8 reinforced and stiffened as it is by the ring wire 11, may then be freely adjusted to produce numerous attractive effects most becoming to the particular individual wearing the headwear. The ring wire 11 may be disposed entirely above or below the plane of the upper welt 9, or it may be positioned across the said plane at any desired angle, and due to the elasticity lof the knitted fabric and the stretching of the brim portion -by the wire 11, the hat will remain in the several positions of adjustment. Because of the fact that the material is readily stretchable or distortable, tubing of uniform diameter ma;7 be utilized for all sizes of hats or caps, and the S, 9 integral with the sections 5, not only produces final articles having neat and highly finished appearance, but also facilitates manufacture of the headwear.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the present invention provides an improved article of head-wear which is relatively inexpensive and highly serviceable. The improved article is also flexible in use and attractive in appearance, and is furthermore durable and conveniently changeable to alter the monotony prevailing in the ordinarv blocked hat.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact details of construction and to the precise mode of manufacture and use, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the. claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and Letters Patent 1. A knitted headwear comprising, a tubularly knitted body portion closed at its upper end and having at its lower open end a pair of spaced annular welts knitted integral with the body portion, and means coacting with one of said welts for maintaining the same stretched to a diameter larger than that of the other.

2. A knitted headwear comprising, a tubularly knitted body portion closed at its upper end and having at its lower open end a pair of spaced annular welts knitted integral with the body portion, and means concealed within the lower of said welts for maintaining the same stretched to a. diameter greater than that of the upper of said welts.

3. A knitted headwear comprising, a. tubularly knitted body portion having an integral knitted welt dividing the same into an upper crown portion and a lower brim portion, and means coacting with the bottom of said brim portion for maintaining the same stretched to a diameter greater than that of said welt.

A knitted headwear comprising, a tubular knitted body portion having an integral knitted annular welt dividing the same into an upper crown portion and a lower brim portion the latter of which also has an integral knitted annular welt at the lower edge thereof, and a reinforcing wire concealed within said lower welt.

5. A knitted headwear con'iprising, a tubular knitted body portion having and integral knitted annular welt dividing the same into an upper crown portion and a lower brim portion the latter of which also has an integral knitted annular weltat the lower edge thereof, and an annular reinforcing wire disposed within said lower welt and formed to stretch the same to a greater diameter than that ef said upper welt.

In testimony whereof, l aflix mv signature.

ALFRED L. HENDRIcKsoN desired to secure by i io 

